Latest KFF Health News Stories
S.C. Taps Private Donors To Expand In-Home Services For At-Risk Moms
The expansion of the Nurse-Family Partnership, financed initially by the federal government and several philanthropies, must meet specific goals to get state contributions. Officials hope to add 3,200 women to the program.
Florida Law Will Let Patients Get All Their Drug Renewals At The Same Time
The new law will help people with chronic conditions that require multiple prescriptions cut down on their shuttles to the drug store and could improve adherence to their drugs.
Many Still Sidestep End-Of-Life Care Planning, Study Finds
Only about a third of U.S. adults have advance directives in place to guide the care they receive in the event that they are unable to make their own decisions about life-sustaining medical treatments.
Over-The-Counter Devices Hold Their Own Against Costly Hearing Aids
In a head-to-head comparison, several of the cheaper devices performed nearly as well as the expensive hearing aids. The study lends credence to lawmakers’ efforts to get the FDA to set standards for over-the-counter versions.
Trump Plan Might Cut Expenses For Some Insured Patients With Chronic Needs
High-deductible health insurance plans linked to a health savings account cannot cover some care and drug expenses for chronic health conditions until the patient has met a deductible.
Unpaid Premiums? Switching Plans? What Changes Are Coming For 2018 Coverage
Readers have a variety of concerns about what’s going to happen with 2018 marketplace coverage.
GOP Seeks To Sweeten Health Savings Account Deals. Will Consumers Bite?
A new study found that fewer than half of people with health savings accounts deposited any money in them in 2016.
Your Credit Score Soon Will Get A Buffer From Medical-Debt Wrecks
Starting in September, the three main agencies will wait 180 days before including a medical debt on a credit report.
House Seeks To Cap Malpractice Awards As Part Of Health Care Update
The bill would limit non-economic damages to $250,000, but it faces opposition from across the political spectrum.
All Kids Should Be Screened for Obesity
An expert panel renews its guidelines that children and teens be screened for obesity at doctors’ offices and advised to receive treatment.
Despite A Growing Appetite, Buffet-Style Flat-Fee Clinics Shutter In Seattle
A small number of medical practices have been moving to “direct primary care,” in which patients pay a monthly retainer for unlimited services. But the collapse of Qliance in Seattle may portend problems with the business model.
Out Of Work And Looking For Insurance: COBRA May Be The Best Bet For Now
With lots of questions about the 2018 insurance market still in play, someone who is between jobs might want to stick with their job-based insurance at least until the outlines of the health law’s marketplaces are clear in the fall.
Quantity Over Quality? Minorities Shown To Get An Excess Of Ineffective Care
The researchers looked at 11 services that medical groups have said are often unnecessary and found that Hispanics and blacks got them at higher rates than whites.
Hospitals Now Tap Lawyers To Fulfill Patients’ Legal Needs
About 300 health care systems around the country have set up medical-legal partnerships to help patients who are dealing with legal problems that affect their health.
Consumer Advocates Wary Of New Marketplace Rules For Brokers
Federal officials relaxed their rules this month about how brokers and insurers can work with individuals to apply for health law policies.
‘You’ve Got Mail’: Emails And Robocalls Hit Home In Promoting Medicaid Enrollment
An Oregon study finds that spending a lot more money to reach out personally to low-income residents eligible for Medicaid doesn’t bring an advantage.
GOP’s Health Bill Could Undercut Some Coverage In Job-Based Insurance
In states that take up the bill’s option to change the essential health benefits, the out-of-pocket spending limits and annual and lifetime caps on coverage in large group plans could fray.
Preexisting Conditions And Continuous Coverage: Key Elements Of GOP Bill
The Republican health plan would require insurers to offer coverage to people who have preexisting medical conditions. But if states opt to allow insurers to charge sick people more than healthy ones, people who have been more than 63 days without coverage could see significantly higher insurance costs.
Rural Shoppers Face Slim Choices, Steep Premiums On Exchanges
The larger an area’s population, the more likely insurers will compete in that market, according to an Urban Institute analysis.
Urgent Care Sites Cater To Cancer Patients, Letting Them Check Some Worries At Door
Hospitals and oncology practices are setting up urgent care services aimed specifically at cancer patients to help keep them out of the hospital.
